Capacitor and method for forming the same

Abstract

A capacitor useful with semiconductor devices and a method for forming such a capacitor is provided. The capacitor comprises a contact formed in a layer of an insulating material of a semiconductor device; a first electrode formed on the layer of insulating material, the first electrode contacting the contact and having a nodular shape; a layer of a dielectric material formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode formed on the layer of the dielectric material. Desirably, the dielectric layer of the capacitor is formed from a high dielectric constant material. In another embodiment, the capacitor includes a layer of a barrier material positioned between the contact and the first electrode.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming an electrode comprising: 
 forming a layer of an electrode material;    etching said layer of said electrode material utilizing a dry etch; and    etching said layer of said electrode material utilizing a wet etch to form a first electrode having a nodular shape.    
     
     
         2 . A method for forming an electrode comprising: 
 forming an insulating layer;    forming a contact in said insulating layer;    forming an electrode layer on said insulating layer and on said contact;    etching said electrode layer utilizing a dry etch; and    etching said electrode layer utilizing a wet etch to form an electrode having a nodular shape.    
     
     
         3 . A method of forming an electrode comprising: 
 forming a layer of a electrode material;    patterning said layer of said electrode material;    etching said layer of said electrode material to form a discrete block of said electrode material utilizing a dry etch; and    etching said block of said electrode material utilizing a wet etch process to form a electrode having a nodular shape.    
     
     
         4 . A method for forming an electrode comprising: 
 forming an insulating layer over a substrate having at least one semiconductor layer;    forming a contact in said insulating layer;    depositing a layer of a first electrode material on the surface of said layer of insulation material, said first electrode material contacting said contact;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch; and    etching said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch process to form a first electrode having a nodular shape.    
     
     
         5 . A method for forming an electrode comprising: 
 forming an insulating layer over a substrate having at least one semiconductor layer;    forming a contact in said insulating layer;    depositing a layer of a first electrode material on the surface of said layer of insulation material, said first electrode material contacting said contact;    patterning said layer of said first electrode material;    etching said layer of said first electrode material to form a discrete block of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching said block of said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch process to form a first electrode having a nodular shape; forming a dielectric layer over the electrode; and    forming a second electrode over said dielectric layer.    
     
     
         6 . A method for forming a capacitor for a semiconductor device comprising: 
 forming a contact in a layer of an insulating material;    forming a layer of a first electrode material on said layer of insulating material and on said contact;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch to form a first electrode having a nodular shape;    forming a layer of a dielectric material on said first electrode; and    forming a second electrode on said layer of said dielectric material.    
     
     
         7 . A method for forming a capacitor for a semiconductor device comprising: 
 forming a contact in a layer of an insulating material, said layer of insulating material having a surface;    etching said contact to form a barrier hole;    forming a layer of a barrier material in said barrier hole such that said layer of barrier material contacts said contact and is substantially coplanar with said surface of said layer of insulating material;    forming a layer of a first electrode material on said layer of barrier material, said layer of first electrode material being formed over said layer of insulating material;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch to form a first electrode having a nodular shape;    forming a layer of a dielectric material on said first electrode; and    forming a second electrode on said layer of said dielectric material.    
     
     
         8 . A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising: 
 forming a contact via in a layer of insulating material;    depositing a contact in said contact via;    planarizing said contact to make said contact substantially coplanar with said surface of said layer of insulation material;    depositing a layer of a first electrode material on the surface of said layer of insulation material, said first electrode material contacting said contact;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching said block of said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch process to form a first electrode having a nodular shape;    forming a layer of dielectric material on said first electrode; and    forming a second electrode on said layer of dielectric material.    
     
     
         9 . A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising: 
 providing a semiconductor substrate;    forming a layer of an insulating material over said semiconductor substrate;    forming a contact via in said layer of said insulating material;    depositing a contact in said contact via;    over etching said contact to form a barrier hole;    forming a layer of a barrier material in said barrier hole;    depositing a layer of a first electrode material on the surface of said layer of insulation material, said first electrode material contacting said layer of barrier material;    etching said layer of said first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching said first electrode material utilizing a wet etch process to form a first electrode having a nodular shape;    forming a layer of dielectric material on said first electrode; and    forming a second electrode on said layer of dielectric material.    
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a memory array comprising: 
 providing a substrate having at least one semiconductor layer;    forming sources, drains and gates for a plurality of memory cells on said substrate;    forming a layer of an insulating material over said substrate;    forming at least one contact via in said layer of insulating material, each of said contact vias communicating with one of said source or said drain of one of said field effect transistors;    forming a plurality of contacts through said layer of said insulating material, each of said contacts contacting one of said sources or said drains;    forming a first electrode layer over said layer of insulating material and contacting said contacts;    etching said first electrode layer utilizing a dry etch;    etching said first electrode utilizing a wet etch process to provide a series of first electrodes, each of said first electrodes having a nodular shape with curved corners and contacting one of said contacts;    forming a dielectric layer on each of said first electrodes; and    forming a second electrode layer on said dielectric layer.    
     
     
         11 . A method for fabricating a wafer comprising: 
 providing a wafer including a semiconductor substrate;    forming a repeating series of sources, drains and gates for at least one field effect transistor on each of a plurality of individual die over said semiconductor substrate;    forming a layer of an insulating material over said semiconductor substrate, said layer of insulating material having a surface;    forming at least one contact through said layer of insulating material for on each of said die, said contact contacting one of said sources or said drains and said contact being substantially coplanar with the surface of said layer of insulating material;    forming a layer of a first electrode material on said contact on said surface of said layer of insulating material on each of said individual die;    etching each of said layers of first electrode material utilizing a dry etch;    etching each of said layers of first electrode material utilizing a wet etch to form a series of first electrodes having a nodular shape with curved corners on each of said individual die;    forming a layer of a dielectric material on each of said first electrodes on each of said individual die; and    forming a second electrode on each of said layers of dielectric material on each of said individual die.